1. BABASAHEB BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR UNIVERSITY, LUCKNOW
(A Central University)
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES
MBA/BBA Research Dissertation work Monitoring Process &
Guidelines
1. The faculty supervisors for the project work in MBA IV/ BBA VIII sem will be
allotted to the students before the semester examination of MBA III/ BBA
VII sem respectively based on the area of interest expressed by the students.
2. After the allotment, the students are required to meet the respective faculty
supervisors for finalisation of topic/title based on literature review (if
required). This should be followed by the finalisation of framework of project
work i.e. objectives, hypotheses (if any) & research design.
3. The tool of data collection (questionnaire/schedule/interview) must be
finalised before going on to the winter break.
4. During the winter break the students are required to collect the data for at
least 10 days as instructed by their respective faculty supervisors.
5. After the winter break, the students are to submit the progress of work to
their respective faculty supervisors as follows:
Work to be completed Deadline
Chapter 1 – Introduction – Conceptual/ Theoretical
Framework- Research problem/ questions and Need for the
present study.
Chapter 2 – Review of Literature- research Gap, Objectives of
the study, hypotheses (if any)
By 15th
February
Chapter 3 – Research design – overall research design,
sampling design, method/s of data collection, Tools for data
collection, statistical design, Delimitations of the study
By 15th March
Chapter 4 – Data analysis and interpretation
Chapter 5- Findings, Conclusion and implications
By 15th April
Final Submission By 30th April
6. Students are to strictly follow the above schedule of project/dissertation
work progress and it must be certified by the faculty supervisors on the
deadlines. Based on the satisfactory progress of project work, the faculty
supervisors may recommend for final submission of project/ dissertation
report for evaluation.
7. The number of pages in the report (approximately) may range between 80
and 100. Two neatly typed hard bound copies of the report have to be
submitted to the HoD office for evaluation. The colour of cover page must
be Navy Blue with golden fonts for MBA (PG) and Maroon with golden
fonts for BBA (UG).
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8. The report is to be prepared as per the instructions and in the format issued
by the department as given on the forthcoming pages.
Guidelines for Dissertation Report Submission
Content and Format of Research Dissertation:
1. Cover page
2. Declaration
3. Certificate from the faculty guide and HoD
4. Acknowledgement
5. Table of Contents
6. List of Tables
7. List of Figures
8. Executive Summary
9. Chapter 1 – Introduction – Conceptual/ Theoretical Framework- Research problem/
Research Questions.
10. Chapter 2 - Review of Literature & Research Gap
Synthesis of relevant literature with proper APA citation style, Research Gap, Objectives,
Hypotheses (if any)
11. Chapter 3 – Research Methodology
Research design – sampling design, Data collection methods, operational design,
Statistical design, Profile of the Respondents (if applicable), limitations of the study
12. Chapter 4 – Data analysis and interpretation
13. Chapter 5 – Findings, Conclusion and Implications
14. References
15. Appendices
Formatting Guidelines: Formatting/Style
Main headings (Heading1)- Times New Roman, 16-point font (Bold)
Sub-headings (Heading 2) – Times New Roman, 14-point font (Bold)
Sub-sub-heading (Heading 3)- Times New Roman, 12-point font (Bold)
Running Text – Times New Roman, 12-point font
Spacing between the lines- 1.5; Margins- 1.5 inch left and 1 inch top, bottom, and right
Each table and figure should be numbered with appropriate caption.
In-text citations must be in APA referencing style only (see the details in forthcoming
pages)
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Cover page
RESEARCH DISSERTATION WORK TITLE
Research Dissertation report submitted
in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION/
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
By
Student Name
Roll No.
Under the esteemed guidance of
Faculty Supervisor Name
Designation
Dept. of Management Studies
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University
Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow-226025
May 2024
4. 4
DECLARATION
I, ----------------------------------------, Roll No: ------------------ hereby declare that the Project
Report titled “ -“ is submitted by
me in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Master of Business
Administration/ Bachelor of Business Administration under the guidance of -------------
.
I confirm that this Report has not been submitted to any other University or Institution in full or
in part for the award of any Degree or Diploma.
Place:
Date: Signature
(STUDENT NAME)
5. 5
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that ----------------------------, Roll No.--------------- worked under my
supervision for the Project Report titled-------------------------------------- during the academic year
in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Master Of
Business Administration/ Bachelor of Business Administration.
Signature of the Student Signature of Faculty Supervisor
Signature of the HOD
7. 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Content Page Number
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Topic
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
Chapter 2 Review of literature & Research gap
2.1
2.2
2.3 Research Gap
2.4 Objectives of the study
Chapter 3 Research methodology
3.1 Research design
3.2 Sampling design
3.3 methods of data collection
3.4 Statistical design
Chapter 4 Data Analysis & Findings
Chapter 5 Conclusion & Implications
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure No. Figure Name Page Number
Figure 1.1
Figure 2.1
Figure 3.1
Figure 3.2
…
LIST OF TABLES
Table No. Table Name Page Number
Table 1.1
Table 1.2
Table 2.1
Table 3.1
Table 3.2
…
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Chapter 2. Review of Literature & Research Gap
2.1 Review of International studies
2.2 Review of National studies
2.3 Research gap
2.4 Objectives of the study
2.5 Conceptual model (if any)
2.6 Hypotheses of the study (if any)
12. 12
Chapter 3. Research Methodology
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Sampling Design
3.3 Methods of Data collection
3.4 Statistical Design
3.5 Operational design
3.6 Profile of respondents (if any)
13. 13
Chapter 4. Data Analysis & Findings
Present your data analysis as per the objectives of the study under relevant headings.
Use tables / graphs to present your results of data analysis with proper numbering and caption.
Perform the testing of hypothesis (if any) and interpret the results.
Chapter 5. Conclusion & Implications
5.1 Conclusion
5.2 Implications of the findings
5.3 Scope for further studies
References:
APA style of referencing to be used
For journal article-
Derwing, T. M., Rossiter, M. J., & Munro, M. J. (2002). Teaching native speakers to listen to
foreign-accented speech. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 23(4), 245-
259.
For thesis/ conference proceedings/ working papers etc.
Thomas, H. K. (2004). Training strategies for improving listeners' comprehension of foreign-
accented speech (Doctoral dissertation). University of Colorado, Boulder.
For webpages
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Asmelash, L. (2019, August 14). Social media use may harm teens' mental health by disrupting
positive activities, study says. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/13/health/social-media-
mental-health-trnd/index.html
World Health Organization. (2018, March 22). Depression. https://www.who.int/en/news-
room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
For Books
Goodpaster, K. E., Nash, L. L., & de Bettignies, H. (2006). Business ethics: Policies and
persons (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Chapter within an edited book
Winne, P. H. (2001). Self-regulated learning viewed from models of information processing. In B.J.
Zimmerman & D.H. Schunk (Eds.), Self-regulated learning and academic achievement (2nd ed.,
pp. 160-192). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Detailed Guidelines for In-text citation and Referencing in APA style
(source: https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/intext)
5.1 Using In-text Citation
Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another
source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your
reference list.
APA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the year of publication, for example:
(Field, 2005). For direct quotations, include the page number as well, for example: (Field, 2005,
p. 14). For sources such as websites and e-books that have no page numbers, use a paragraph
number, for example: (Field, 2005, para. 1).
Example paragraph with in-text citation
A few researchers in the linguistics field have developed training programs designed to improve
native speakers' ability to understand accented speech (Derwing et al., 2002; Thomas, 2004).
Their training techniques are based on the research described above indicating that
comprehension improves with exposure to non-native speech. Derwing et al. (2002) conducted
their training with students preparing to be social workers, but note that other professionals who
work with non-native speakers could benefit from a similar program.
References
Derwing, T. M., Rossiter, M. J., & Munro, M. J. (2002). Teaching native speakers to listen to
foreign-accented speech. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 23(4), 245-
259.
Thomas, H. K. (2004). Training strategies for improving listeners' comprehension of foreign-
accented speech (Doctoral dissertation). University of Colorado, Boulder.
5.2 Citing Web Pages In Text
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5.3 General Guidelines
Cite web pages in text as you would any other source, using the author and date if known. Keep
in mind that the author may be an organization rather than a person. For sources with no author,
use the title in place of an author.
For sources with no date use n.d. (for no date) in place of the year: (Smith, n.d.).
Below are examples of using in-text citation with web pages.
Web page with author:
In-text citation
Heavy social media use can be linked to depression and other mental disorders in
teens (Asmelash, 2019).
Reference entry
Asmelash, L. (2019, August 14). Social media use may harm teens' mental health by disrupting
positive activities, study says. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/13/health/social-media-
mental-health-trnd/index.html
Web page with organizational author:
In-text citation
More than 300 million people worldwide are affected by depression (World Health Organization,
2018).
Reference entry
World Health Organization. (2018, March 22). Depression. https://www.who.int/en/news-
room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
Web page with no date:
In-text citation
Establishing regular routines, such as exercise, can help survivors of disasters recover from
trauma (American Psychological Association [APA], n.d.).
Reference entry
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Recovering emotionally from disaster.
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/recovering-disasters.aspx
In-text references should immediately follow the title, word, or phrase to which they are directly
relevant, rather than appearing at the end of long clauses or sentences. In-text references should
always precede punctuation marks. Below are examples of using in-text citation.
Author's name in parentheses:
One study found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is
familiarity with the topic (Gass & Varonis, 1984).
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Author's name part of narrative:
Gass and Varonis (1984) found that the most important element in comprehending non-native
speech is familiarity with the topic.
Group as author:
First citation: (American Psychological Association [APA], 2015)
Subsequent citation: (APA, 2015)
Multiple works: (separate each work with semi-colons)
Research shows that listening to a particular accent improves comprehension of accented speech
in general (Gass & Varonis, 1984; Krech Thomas, 2004).
Direct quote: (include page number and place quotation marks around the direct quote)
One study found that “the listener's familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the
interpretation of the entire message” (Gass & Varonis, 1984, p. 85).
Gass and Varonis (1984) found that “the listener’s familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly
facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (p. 85).
Note: For direct quotations of more than 40 words, display the quote as an indented block of
text without quotation marks and include the authors’ names, year, and page number in
parentheses at the end of the quote. For example:
This suggests that familiarity with nonnative speech in general, although it is clearly not as
important a variable as topic familiarity, may indeed have some effect. That is, prior
experience with nonnative speech, such as that gained by listening to the reading,
facilitates comprehension. (Gass & Varonis, 1984, p. 77)
5.4 Works by Multiple Authors
APA style has specific rules for citing works by multiple authors. Use the following guidelines to
determine how to correctly cite works by multiple authors in text.
Note: When using multiple authors' names as part of your narrative, rather than in parentheses,
always spell out the word and. For multiple authors' names within a parenthetic citation, use &.
One author: (Field, 2005)
Two authors: (Gass & Varonis, 1984)
Three or more authors: (Tremblay et al., 2010)
5.5 Citing Generative AI tools
Before making use of any generative AI tool (such as ChatGPT) for class assignments, consult
your instructor and your syllabus for guidance on using, quoting, and citing generative AI.
Example: In-text:
When prompted “Why is toxic positivity a problem in the workplace,” the ChatGPT-generated
text indicated that “toxic positivity can be harmful as it can lead to a dismissive attitude towards
the concerns or struggles of employees” (OpenAI, 2023)
17. 17
5.6 Books
Entry in reference list:
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 23 version) [Large language
model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Note: Citations with more than one line of text should have a hanging indent of 1/2 inch or
5 spaces.
Important Elements:
Author (last name, initials only for first & middle names)
Publication date
Title (in italics; capitalize only the first word of title and subtitle, and proper nouns)
Publisher (Note: do not include publisher location)
For books retrieved online, include DOI, if available. Include URLs only if they will
work for readers. For articles retrieved through a database, do not include the database
information or URL in the reference.
Entire book:
Goodpaster, K. E., Nash, L. L., & de Bettignies, H. (2006). Business ethics: Policies and
persons (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
American Medical Association. (2004). American Medical Association family medical guide (4th
ed.). Wiley.
Post, E. (1923). Etiquette in society, in business, in politics, and at home. Funk & Wagnalls.
http://www.bartleby.com/95/
Chapter within an edited book:
Winne, P. H. (2001). Self-regulated learning viewed from models of information processing. In B.J.
Zimmerman & D.H. Schunk (Eds.), Self-regulated learning and academic achievement (2nd ed.,
pp. 160-192). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Translation:
Tolstoy, L. (2006). War and peace. (A. Briggs, Trans.). Viking. (Original work published 1865).
Article in a reference work:
Gianoulis, T. (2013). Hipsters. In T. Riggs (Ed.), St. James encyclopedia of popular culture (2nd
ed., Vol. 2, pp. 675-676). St. James Press.